'Asinine': Trump Jr denies conflict over resorts

Donald Trump Jr. was in Indonesia on Tuesday (August 13), touting two Trump-branded luxury resort projects and dismissing any talk of a conflict of interest.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, DONALD TRUMP JR, SAYING: "I'd like to shut that nonsense down once and for all right here." However, Jakarta fears Washington's many trade disputes may be coming to their shores.

Indonesian officials fear the Trump administration may apply tariffs as the Southeast Asian nation had an $8.3 billion trade surplus last year.

While Donald Trump has handed control to his two sons through a trust while in office, he has kept ownership of his global business empire.

Now Trump Jr. is seeking to allay concerns over a potential conflict of interest.

He says the Indonesian project was one of the last the Trump Organization signed before his father became president and that it had a contractual obligation to finish the deal.

He also says the Trump Organization has chosen not to take on new oversea deals to avoid any impression of impropriety.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, DONALD TRUMP JR, SAYING: "But the notion that some people would say that because of a development somewhere that my father would, you know, even remotely be influenced or change U.S. policy on major issues that affect the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans, and frankly people around the world, is totally asinine." The resorts are part of a partnership with Indonesia's MNC Group and are located on the popular holiday island of Bali, and in Lido - near the capital Jakarta.